By Fatimah Yusuf Usman
The political exclusion of women in Nigeria has once again come to the fore with the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Her alleged offense? Speaking up. Her punishment?
A swift and harsh six-month expulsion from the Senate, her office sealed, salary cut off, and access to the National Assembly revoked. Her ordeal began when she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, an allegation that was neither investigated nor given a fair hearing.
Instead, the Senate’s Ethics Committee moved with unusual speed to shut her out. This raises an urgent question. Is there space for women in Nigerian politics beyond tokenism, or must they submit and endure injustice to survive?
Sexual harassment remains a global crisis, yet many societies, including Nigeria, prefer to sweep it under the carpet. Worldwide, one in three women, about 736 million, has experienced physical and or sexual violence.
But when victims muster the courage to speak up, they are often met with disbelief, scrutiny, or punishment. Natasha’s case is no different. Rather than handling the matter with fairness and transparency, the Senate wasted no time in punishing her.
A six-month suspension without pay seems less like a disciplinary measure and more like a warning to women in politics. Know your place or face the consequences. If this can happen at the highest levels of government, what hope is there for the ordinary Nigerian woman facing harassment in her workplace, school, or community?
Women in Nigeria’s political space face a glass ceiling reinforced with steel. Out of 109 senators, only a handful are women, a stark reminder of the gender imbalance that continues to define governance in the country.
And when women like Natasha refuse to conform to the unwritten rules of submission, the system moves to silence them. But even as she was escorted out of the Senate chambers, Natasha refused to be broken.
“This injustice will not be sustained,” she declared. Her words are a rallying cry, not just for herself, but for every woman who has been silenced, sidelined, or denied justice. The idea that politics is a “man’s world” must be dismantled.
Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while women’s voices are suppressed. Gender equity in governance is not a privilege. It is a right. The Senate’s handling of this case has only reinforced the perception that powerful men can get away with anything while women who dare to challenge them are punished.
If Natasha’s case has taught us anything, it is that the struggle for women’s political inclusion is far from over. But if we do not confront this now, when will we? How long will women continue to be punished for demanding dignity, fairness, and equal representation?
This is no longer just about Natasha. It is about every woman who has been ignored, intimidated, or denied justice. If we allow this injustice to stand, we send a dangerous message that a woman’s voice does not matter. But we refuse to accept that.
We stand with Natasha. We stand with every woman who has been silenced. And we demand justice, not just for her, but for all of us.
Fatimah Yusuf Usman is a Corps Member serving at PRNigeria Centre, Abuja. can be reached via: fatimahborkono@gmail.com